Jane Sullivan struggled to breathe under the pressure.
She kept moving back, looking up into Ethan's deep, mocking eyes. "Uncle, everyone has their secrets, and I'm no exception. So, I refuse to answer that question."
"Refuse? What right do you have to refuse!"
Ethan's eyes were full of disdain, finding Jane Sullivan's audacity unbelievable.
Leaning close, almost touching her flushed face, he put a finger on her lips, roughly rubbing them.
Rather than a rub, it was more of a grind.
Jane Sullivan, in pain, tried to turn her face away but was forcefully held by the chin, harshly reminded, "If you insist on playing this stubborn game with me, I'm all in. Let's see who can outlast the other!"
As he spoke, his head slowly lowered, almost touching her lips.
Sensing Ethan's movement, just as his lips were about to touch hers, Jane Sullivan quickly turned her face away, but within a second, his hand pulled her back and held her firmly in place.
"Do you think you can escape?" Ethan murmured with half-closed eyes. "You know, right now, in my eyes, you're just begging for it..."
His breath, heavy with the scent of alcohol, mingled with hers, and Jane Sullivan felt she could hardly breathe.
"Uncle, I've told you, I'm no longer the obedient girl I used to be. If you insist on keeping me by your side, then fine, but don't regret it."
"Regret?" Ethan's lips curled in a scornful smile. "The word 'regret' doesn't exist in my dictionary!"
As he spoke, he grasped her chin, his deep gaze locking onto her. "You know, don't keep challenging my patience. You'll regret it!"
With that, he pressed his lips against hers.
At the moment Ethan's lips touched hers, Jane Sullivan gave up struggling, tears of despair rolling down her cheeks.
Closing her eyes, her hands reached behind her back, fumbling with the zipper, pulling it down, and then she forcefully tugged at the straps on either side...
Her fair shoulders, and the deep V, were all exposed to the man's gaze.
Jane Sullivan lifted her head, meeting Ethan's deep eyes. "Uncle, all you want is my body, that's fine. I'll try to satisfy you as much as I can."
"But I have conditions, and I hope you'll agree to them."
Ethan looked down at Jane Sullivan's face, her eyes resolute, different from her previous stubbornness. This real side of her intrigued him.
He withdrew his hand, his face emotionless, "What do you want?"
What she wanted... was nothing more than his love, not just physical intimacy.
If he couldn't give that, then she wanted freedom, to be strangers henceforth.
But she knew, voicing this would only anger him.
Physical intimacy, akin to a transaction, and if it was a transaction, she had to fight for her rights.
So, with a resigned gaze, she stared at the emotionless man before her, "That 10 billion deal, don't give it to Gu Shi, give it to Jia He. As for me, I shouldn't be taken advantage of by you. Transfer the previous marriage house to my name, no less than 1 million in living expenses per month, to be deposited into my account on the first of each month."
"Once I graduate from university, our relationship ends, and we become strangers, not to disturb each other's lives."
There were three years until her graduation, enough time for a man to tire of a woman's body.
Ethan nodded without hesitation, caressing Jane Sullivan's collarbone, "Deal."
As he bent his head to kiss her neck, Jane Sullivan heard his hoarse voice, "Three years is too long, one year is enough..."
...
The next day.
Jane Sullivan got up from the bed and saw a check on the bedside table, with many zeros. Counting, it was ten million...
He had paid ten months' living expenses at once.
Had she known he would give money so quickly, she would have asked for more last night.
After all, Ethan was a man of multiple times a night. If this frequency continued, ten million seemed a loss.
In the bathroom, seeing the marks on her neck in the mirror, Jane Sullivan recalled how Ethan had taken her fiercely in the car the night before.
Without even undressing, without any foreplay, he pressed her under him until he was satisfied.
She thought it would end there, but Ethan then took her back to their marital home. Without Shuancai's disturbance, from the living room to the stairs, to the bedroom, to the bathroom...
Ethan's behavior made Jane Sullivan feel like a piece of tender meat encountered by a wolf starved for years, insatiable...
But how could that be possible?
For a man like him, who changed women faster than clothes, surrounded by plenty of women, how could he starve?
Thinking of this, Jane Sullivan chuckled to herself, picked up her toothbrush, applied toothpaste, and started brushing her teeth.
*
Her encounter with Justin happened in the afternoon.
Jane Sullivan walked out of the mall, carrying shopping bags from various brands, including luxury items.
The women around her looked at her with a mix of envy and disdain, thinking that a young girl like her couldn't afford Hermes, Dior, or Chanel.
Unless... she was kept.
Jane Sullivan didn't care about their gazes. As she walked out, she picked up her phone to call Archie to pick her up.
But just as she stepped outside, she saw Justin's black Cayenne parked by the roadside. The window was half-open, and Justin was smoking, looking at her with complex eyes.
...
In the private room of a Western restaurant, after finishing his last cigarette and stubbing it out in the ashtray, Justin spoke to Jane Sullivan , "Jane, you've changed."
Jane Sullivan nodded with a smile, her once youthful face now adorned with makeup too sophisticated for her age, masking her former innocence.
"After everything I've been through, I've come to terms with it. If this is what fate has in store for me, why resist? So, while I'm still young, with plenty of time ahead, I might as well enjoy life to the fullest."
Justin gave a deep laugh, playing with his lighter, and asked, "Do you enjoy this kind of life?"
"Whether I enjoy it or not, what difference does it make? You've seen it yourself, I have no choice."
"What do you mean, no choice!" Justin slammed the lighter on the table, his blue eyes brimming with anger. "I told you I would help you! I would never go back on my word! It was you who chose this path!"
"That night!... That night you could have left, couldn't you! But what did you do?"
Jane Sullivan knew Justin was referring to the night of the auction at Bianlianghua, when Ethan put a number on her. During the first and second rounds, before she was taken away by the old man and tied to the bed, she had many chances to escape. Yet, she chose to stay, gambling on an answer.
An answer that led to her complete defeat.
"Justin, it's too late to talk about this now. What's done is done."
"Jane, you don't have to live like this. There are always choices."
Justin's tone softened, his anger giving way to concern. He reached across the table, attempting to offer comfort. "If you need help, I'm here. You don't have to endure this alone."
Jane looked away, her eyes betraying a hint of sadness. "Thank you, Justin, but some paths, once taken, can't be retraced. I've made my choices, and now I must live with them."
Their conversation lingered in the air, filled with unspoken words and shared regrets. The path Jane had chosen was a difficult one, but it was hers, and she intended to walk it with her head held high, no matter the cost.
Justin sighed, the weight of their conversation heavy in his heart. "Jane, just remember, if you ever need anything, I'm just a call away. Don't ever think you're completely alone in this."
Jane Sullivan offered a faint smile, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I appreciate that, Justin. Really, I do. But this is something I have to deal with on my own. It's... part of my journey, I guess."